1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector with an erroneous-fitting detection function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical connector has a male housing that can be inserted into a fitting recess in a female housing. Different kinds of male housings often have identical outer shapes and different kinds of female housings often have fitting recesses with substantially identically configured inner peripheries. However, the different kinds of housings may differ from one another with respect to the number of poles, and there is a fear that an improper combination of female and male housings will be fit together.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2003/0017748 A1 discloses connectors with projections formed on the outer periphery of each male housing so that the positions of the projections are different for different kinds of male housings. Grooves are formed in the inner periphery of the fitting recess of each female housing at positions for receiving the projections of the corresponding male housing. Thus, a proper combination of the female and male housings can be fit together without hindrance. However, the projections interfere with an opening edge of the fitting recess when the housings form an improper combination so that the fitting operation is prevented.
Housings generally are made of a synthetic resin, and therefore the opening edge of the fitting recess can be deform and spread outwardly. Such a deformation can be caused by the ribs on the male housing when the wrong male housing is mistakenly urged into the fitting recess of the female housing.
This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is to enable erroneous fitting to be detected positively.